Game



Jan; 23, 1934. o w us vs- 1,944,317

GAME

Filed March 51, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1'0" 0604/? rum/5 Jan. 23; 1934. 0, w GU T S N 1,944,317

GAME

Filed March 31, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 awake r,

Patented Jan. 23, 1934 umrso STATES PATENT OFFICE GAME Oscar W. Gustavson, Lancaster, Mass. Application March 91, 1930. Serial No. 440,525

4 Claims. (01,. 273-102) This invention appertains to a game apparatus and more particularly to a combined target and missile counting game One of the primary objects, of my invention is the provision of a novel game embodying a target associated with a game board, the movement of the target under impact from a projectile of a toy pistol controlling the movement of a marble or other missile, the marble or other missile under certain conditions traveling down the game board between rows of pins defining channel ways, the channel ways counting a different number of points to be added for a total score.

Another important object of my invention is the provision of a game .board having a plurality of channel ways, each'of the channel ways counting a certain number .of points, with a ball or missile held above the channel ways by a suitable gate, the releasing of the gate allowing the falling of the ball into any one of the channel ways, the falling of the ball into a predetermined channel way giving the player actuating the gate a number of points marked on said channel way. Another important object of my invention'is the provision of novel means for operating the gate by the player, the gate being associated with a spring pressed target carried directly by the upper end of the game board, the spring of the target normally tending to move the same'outwardly and the gate to itsopen position for allowing the dropping of the ball into one of the channel ways, the target being provided with a latch for normally holding the same against movement under its spring and the gate in its closed position for holding the ball against movement, the arrangement of the latch being such that when the target is hit by an object, such as a projectile from a toy gun, the latch will be released allowing the outward movement of the target under its springs and the consequent opening of the gate. A further important object of my invention is the provision of novel means for arranging the target relative to the game board and novel means for carrying the gate'directly by the target with the means carried by the guide of the target for directing the ball or missile from one side to the other. 7 I

-A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved game apparatus of the above character, which will be durable and efficient in use, one that will be simple and easy to manufacture, and one which can be placed upon the market at a reasonable cost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved game board. j

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same, show: ing the ball or missile in its operative position. Figure 3 is a horizontal section through the game board taken on the line 33 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

, Figure 4 is a vertical centralsection taken through the improved game board showing the toy pistol used in connection therewith, a portion of the barrel of the pistol being shown broken away and in section.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detailsection taken centrally through the upper end of the game 7 board on the line 55 of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows showing the construction of the latch carried by the target.

Figure 6 is adetail section taken on the line 6 6 of. Figure 5 looking in the direction of the arrows illustrating the arrangement of the latch,

and

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of one type of projectile which can be used with the toy pistol and the game board.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A generally indicates my improved game board and B a pistol which can be used in conjunction therewith. 9

My improved game board comprises a relatively heavy cardboard or similar casing or box which when in use is set in a vertical position, The same includes a rear fiat wall or board 10, top and bottom end walls 11 and 12, and longitudinally extending side walls 13 and 14. The top wall 11 is provided with a gate opening 15, for a purpose, which will be later described.

Extending in spaced parallel relation to the rear wall 10 is a sheet or plate of transparent material 16, such as glass, celluloid, mica, or the like, and divides the casing into a front open compartment l7 and a rear closed compartment 18. The rear closed compartment 18 is provided with a series of rows of pins 19 which can be carried by the rear wall 10 and these rows of pins 19 define channel ways 20 therebetween. The rows of pins terminate short of the top Wall 11 and the upper pins of the rows of pins 19 terminate one above the other toward the longitudinal center of the board so that the uppermost pins will define top inclosed rows leaning toward the side walls 13 and 14, so that a ball or missile 21 drop"- ping through thegate opening 15 will strike the top pins and fall into one of the channel ways 20, the top row of pins being placed one below th other acting to guide the ball under certain conditions toward the outermost of side channel ways 20. If preferred, the rows of pins can be arranged in direct longitudinal alignment or, as,

shown, the same can be staggeredly arranged so as to provide tortuous channel'ivays' 20. Each of the channel ways are marked as at 22, so as to count a predetermined number of points toward a total score and as shown in Figure l of the drawings the channel ways count from ten points upto a hundred points. i

- Owing to the arrangement of the transparent plate 16, the ball or missile is confined between the rear wall 10 and said front transparent plate and the ball, after dropping through the gate opening 15 can be recovered through a bottom opening 23 formed in the bottom wall 12.

The falling of the ball or missile 21 and the means for controlling the ball or missile forms one of the salient features of myinventioh and I provide a target 25 which is adapted to be shot at by the toy pistol B.- The inner face-of the target 25 at its axial center carries a rearwardly extending stem 26, which is slidably received within a supporting guide sleeve-27 secured to the rear walllO. This sleeve is further confinedin place by the use of a suitable holding plate 28, the upper end of which is provided with a horizontally disposed deflector plate 29, which directs the b'allormis'sile 21 to one side thereof or the other, as the case may be, toward the channel ways 20-. The upper edge of the target 25 carries a rearwardly extending horizontally disposed gate 30-,- which is slidably received within a slot 31 formed in the transparent plate 16.

Thetarget 25 and consequently the gate 30 is normally 'urged outward by an expansion coil spring 32wh-ich is confined within the guide sleeve 27; and the'ends of thespring are anchored respectively in the stem 26 of the target and in a plug 33 secured in said sleeve. When thetarget is inits outermost position the gate 30 is moved past the gate opening 15 and the ball 21 is allowed to drop through said opening toward the deflector plate 29 and the channel ways 20.

Normally the target 25 is pressed inward against its spring 32 and the gate 30 underlies the opening 15 and the ball 21 rests upon the gate. The target is held in this positionby the use of a latch pin '34 which extends radially from the stem 26, which pin is adapted to be received in a notch 35 formed in a longitudinally extendiiig slot 36 in the sleeve 2'7.

When the target is forcibly hit, preferably at its axiallcenter, the same will be forced inwardly against the outward pressureof the spring 32 allowing ,thespring toturn slightly to its normal position; for movingthe latch pin 34 out of .the

notch 35 and the spring will then force the target outward and the gate 30 away from the gate opening 15 allowing the falling of the ball.

Any desired type of toy pistol B or the like can be employed for shooting at the target 25 and this pistol may include a spring pressed plunger 40 controlled by a trigger 41 for throwing a projectile 42 toward the target.

I prefer to make the projectile 42 in such a way as to cause no apparent injury to the target 25 and consequently the projectile 42 includes a cylindrical body 43 and a forward striking member 44, which is connected with the body 43 by means of a shock absorbing spring45,

-From-the foregoing it is believed that the use of the game will be obvious and it is apparent that skill will be required on the part of the play- :ers to hit the target with the toy pistol and that when the target is properly hit by the projectile 42 that the same will be actuated for releasing the gate 30 and allowing the falling of the ball or missile into one of the channel ways which counts a predetermined number of points toward a total score;

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope ofthis invention, but

What I claim as new is: l

l. A game apparatus comprising a game board having a plurality of vertical rows of'channel ways, each channel way counting a predetermined number of points, the board having a gate opening in-the upperlend thereof above the channel ways, a slidable gate for controlling said opening, a missile movable through the gate opening toward the channellways, a target slidably carried by the game board and having the gate 'affixed thereto, spring means normally urging the target away from the game board and the gate away from the gate opening, a latch for normallyholding the target in its innermost position and thelgate under the opening, the latch being adapted to be released under impact.

2. A game apparatus comprising a back board,

top, bottom, and side walls carried by the board,

a transparent plate arranged in spaced relation to the rear wall andconnect'ed to the top, bottom and side walls, a plurality of rows'of pins carried by the back board defining a plurality of rows of channel ways, each of the channel ways counting a predetermined number of points, the upper wall being provided with a centrally disposed gate opening in rear of the transparent plate and above said channel ways, a guide sleeve carried by the back board and extending through the transparent plate, a deflector plate arranged above the sleeve, a target, a stem on the inner face of the target at the axial center thereof slidably received in the sleeve, an expansion coil spring receivedin the sleeve and connecting the stem and sleeve together, the sleeve having a longitudinally extending slot-and a notch in one wall thereof, a latch pin carried by the stem for engaging the wall of the slot forholding the target in its innermost position against the ten-- sion of the spring, a rearwardly extending gate carried by the target and adapted to extend under the gate opening when the latch pin is in the notch, a missile movable through the gate opening and resting upon the gate when the tar-.- get is in its innermost position, and a projectile shooting device for the target. t k 3. A game com-prisingagame board arranged in a vertical plane and having a plurality of spaced channel Ways, and a gate opening above the channel ways, a target, a gate carried by said target and bodily movable therewith disposed below the gate opening, latching means for normally holding said gate in a latched position below the opening, a missile resting upon the gate, and means for releasing the latch of the gate under impact from a projectile and bodily moving said target and gate carried thereby to a released position.

4. A game comprising a game board having a 

